A/N: Parts of this chapter are based on the story "Touch" by singingstarryknights. A fabulous story, which I highly recommend to everyone, especially CaRWash fans.

ObsessedTWFan: You've never blamed the floor? It's always the floor. Sometimes the carpet raises up and trips you on purpose. At least mine does.

Calleigh had never seen such anxiety in the lab. Everyone was nervous, edgy. She could feel it. The tension was so palpable that it was practically absorbed into her skin. She was sweating it out of her pores. She was just as nervous as everyone else, but her nerves were different. She was worried about Eric and Horatio, to be sure – to lose someone so close in such a violent manner wasn't something one could just get over, especially not overnight – but she wasn't about to dwell on what happened. It was sad; she had liked Marisol, but the two had not been great friends. She would miss her, she would grieve for Horatio and Eric's loss, but she wouldn't wallow in sadness. Life was short. If Calleigh had learned anything from Marisol's death, she had learned that. It was a lesson she should have already known, but it hadn't quite sunk in before. Not until now.

Horatio had requested a meeting. Not so much "requested" as "demanded". The conversation had consisted of him finding her in the locker room and saying, "Calleigh, my office, please." Before she could ask for an explanation, he disappeared out the door. Curious as to what he wanted, she attached her badge to her belt and quickly shut her locker. Ryan entered as she was leaving; she flashed him a smile and continued out the door.

She felt Ryan approach before she actually saw him. He had either gotten ready in record time or run from the locker room. He appeared at her shoulder as they walked into Horatio's office – Horatio was conspicuously absent.

He smelled incredible again; she knew it wasn't cologne – he didn't wear cologne for the same reason she didn't wear perfume, because it interfered with the job – it was just him. That intoxicating scent of soap and clean laundry and something that was uniquely him; she knew he probably scrubbed twice in the shower, he was so obsessive-compulsive.

He leaned in close, so that his breath brushed her ear, and she shivered in spite of herself. "Any idea what this is about?"

She shook her head, knowing that she should step away from him, put a little distance between them, but also knowing that she wouldn't. This one fleeting moment of privacy was most likely all that they would get today, so she would relish the brief contact for what it was. It would have to last her all day.

They stepped apart just as Alexx walked in. Horatio and Eric quickly followed her. Calleigh could tell from the way the two men were standing that they had been having a rather heated conversation. Eric caught her eye, and she raised her eyebrows in silent question, but he shook his head and gestured at Horatio, who was making away around his desk.

Horatio made a sweeping gesture. "Have a seat," he said to his team.

Ryan immediately dropped into the nearest chair; Calleigh carefully sat in the one next to him, and Alexx sat beside her. Eric had no chair, but he didn't seem to care. He had moved behind Horatio's desk, leaning against the wall; it looked as though they were both going to be conducting this meeting. With a horrible sinking feeling in her stomach, Calleigh wondered if that were the case. She sneaked a sidelong glance at Ryan, who lifted one shoulder in a barely perceptible shrug.

"Antonio Riaz," Horatio said, folding his hands on his desk in front of him, "is being deported."

"What?" Calleigh and Ryan asked at the same time. Alexx shook her head slowly, her eyes sad. And from the look on Eric's face, he had already known that bit of information.

"The FBI made a deal with him," said Horatio. He was obviously struggling to remain calm. The vein in his forehead was throbbing, and he was clasping his hands so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. Calleigh glanced at Eric; one of the muscles in his jaw was twitching. "In exchange for information about an Afghan sleeper cell, the United States government has agreed to transport him to Brazil, where he will stand trial."

Calleigh's heart lurched. If what Horatio was saying were true, and she was sure that it was, then the possibility was very real that Riaz would be free within a matter of weeks. There was no way he would ever be convicted of crimes against the American people in a foreign country. And suddenly, Calleigh thought she knew the reason for this meeting.

"That's fucking bullshit," Ryan said, and Calleigh found herself staring incredulously at him. Mostly because of the vehemence in his voice, but also because she could not remember him having ever sworn so violently.

"Mr. Wolfe?" Horatio's voice was that same quiet, forced calm, but Calleigh could tell that he was just as surprised by Ryan's reaction as she was.

"After everything he's done?" Ryan asked, and she knew he was thinking of Jessop. She knew he had taken the officer's death extremely hard, perhaps harder than the rest of them had. "All the people that he's killed? Nearly bringing down an airplane? They're just going to let him go?"

Eric's gaze was focused on his hands when he answered. "They said that they were looking at the big picture."

Calleigh leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. She lowered her voice, trying to get Eric to look at her, because she didn't like that deadened look in his eyes. "They told you this? When did they tell you?"

"Last night," Horatio said.

"At Marisol's grave," said Eric, and his voice broke, just a bit.

Calleigh's hand automatically went to her mouth as she let out a gasp of horror. Beside her, Ryan again swore violently, only this time under his breath. Alexx gripped the arms of her chair, her head bowed in disbelief. Eric and Horatio sported identical looks of pure and utter loathing, with matching haunted eyes.

The five of them sat in silence for a while, looking everywhere but at each other. Like Calleigh, it appeared that no one knew what to say. Finally, Calleigh spoke up. "You're going to Brazil." It wasn't a question.

Horatio nodded. Calleigh had known, from the moment he said that Riaz was going to Brazil, that he would go, too. Riaz had killed Horatio's wife, the one person to whom he had opened his heart – something the lieutenant could not and would not forgive. Calleigh knew that Horatio would follow Riaz, find him wherever in Brazil he happened to be, and kill him. There was no doubt in her mind that that was the case.

And of course Eric would go, too. Marisol was his sister, his family.

"Horatio, you can't," said Alexx, though she said it without much conviction.

He just stared at them, his eyes steel. "I can."

Calleigh said nothing; neither did Alexx. Ryan simply shook his head. Calleigh wondered if they all knew just how pointless it would be to try to talk either of them out of their decision. Marisol was dead, Riaz was responsible, and so they were going to be wherever Riaz was. That was just the way things were.

"Calleigh," Horatio said, "you're in charge while Eric and I are gone. You and Mr. Wolfe may have to call in some favors on the night shift to handle the caseload."

She nodded slowly, understanding. With only her and Ryan, work would pile up. Who knew how long Horatio and Eric would be gone? There was no way they could do it themselves, no matter how good they were.

"When do you leave?" Ryan asked.

Eric, his eyes still locked on his hands, said, "This afternoon."

No one asked how they had managed to swing this. Their excursion to Brazil was most likely not approved by the head of the lab. Horatio and Eric were risking a lot to follow Riaz – their jobs, their lives… But they would go. It was just the kind of guys that they were.

"That is all," said Horatio. He had risen from his seat before he had even finished speaking, and both he and Eric were gone before anyone could say anything.

Calleigh, Alexx, and Ryan remained seated. After a few moments of silence, Ryan said, "They're going to get killed."

Alexx stood and walked over to Ryan, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Oh, honey, this is something they've got to do. Nothing we can do about it." She sighed and started for the door, mumbling under her breath. Calleigh wasn't sure, but she thought she heard Alexx say, "Looks like I won't be getting any sleep for a while," as she left.

Long after Alexx had left, Calleigh and Ryan stayed where they were. Calleigh was staring at Horatio's desk, not really seeing anything. Her eyes were unfocused, her vision blurry. She was thinking about what she would do if Ryan ended up being right and the both Horatio and Eric were killed while in Brazil. It was something she didn't want to think about – not today.

Beside her, Ryan's leg began bouncing. Instead of resting his feet flat on the floor, he was putting all of his weight on his toes, causing his leg to jiggle. It was annoying, and it worried Calleigh. Ryan was always in control – except when he was dancing – and he was putting himself in a position where he was losing control, even something as seemingly insignificant as his legs.

Without thinking, she reached across the barrier between them and placed her hand on his bouncing leg, just above the knee. Almost of its own volition, her hand slid from his knee up his thigh – dangerously high. Ryan's leg stilled instantly.

She only wanted to calm Ryan down, reassure him. But the simple touch was rapidly backfiring. Now she was the one filling full of nervous energy. She could feel her leg start to twitch, feel that fire burning in her belly once more. But she didn't remove her hand from his leg. It was almost like her hand was glued to his thigh.

He turned slowly to look at her. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes were a blazing cobalt blue. She knew that whatever she was feeling, he was going through the same thing. And that look in his eyes – it was reminiscent of that night at La Llama. She knew where that look would lead, and right now was not the best time. Reluctantly, she removed her hand from his thigh. She missed the feel of his body almost instantly.

"We'd better get to work," she said, forcing a smile. She stood on shaky legs and made her way out of Horatio's office.

She could feel Ryan's eyes on her the entire time.